If our #solarsystem is truly floating through the dusty #interstellar remains of ancient, glorious empires and #civilizations, how would we know? - http://clapway.com/2015/08/30/et-interstellar-seed-110/ - http://clapway.com/2015/08/30/et-interstellar-seed-110/

In all the observed universe, of all the magnificent wonders of the universe, even of the hundreds of extrasolar planets catalogued over the past two decades, only Earth is known to harbor life as we know it. But that’s all we need to ask some very interesting questions about life. To begin, is life here a result of spontaneity? Were we an accident of nature? Or is life more ubiquitous than that? When we read some hard science fiction of the twentieth century, readers may wonder, if our solar system is truly floating through the dusty remains of ancient, glorious empires and civilizations, how would we know?

HARVARD ASTROPHYSICISTS TO TRACK INTERSTELLAR LIFE

Recent research by Harvard astrophysicists haven’t answered the question of biogenesis, however, they have shown a necessary trace that ought to be present in interstellar space (known as panspermia); an identifiable pattern that we on Earth could possibly observe.

“In our theory, clusters of life-form grow and overlap like bubbles in a pot of boiling water,” said henry Lin of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center of Astrophysics (CfA).

HOW CAN LIFE ESCAPE ITS HOME STAR?

When it comes to interstellar travel, there are two known ways for life to travel beyond the reach of its parent star. One is via one of the several physical processes of interacting bodies, e.g., gravitational slingshotting of comets and asteroids bearing the organic molecules needed for more complex life forms. Another way is for an already developed intelligent life form to make some sort of exodus from their home planet, somehow driven into interstellar space. The Harvard astrophysicists research doesn’t actually account for panspermia; instead it wants to know if we could detect such an exodus, if it were to happen?

Their findings have provided a resounding “yes” for an answer.

EXPERIMENTAL CONTROLS AND ASSUMPTIONS

A few assumptions were made, though. For instance, until an interstellar species finds a neighboring planet capable of harboring life, their exodus is a diaspora, i.e., they travel outwards in all directions three dimensions allows. Once they discover a nice new home, they can take root, form trade lines, and begin to form interstellar strands of life. On a long enough timeline, this process would develop a series of life-bearing oases littering the night sky, which we would in theory be able to eventually observe.

“Life could spread from host star to host star in a pattern similar to the outbreak of an epidemic. In a sense, the Milky Way Galaxy would become infected with pockets of life,” explained Avi Loweb from the CfA.

WHAT WILL WE DO ONCE WE’VE DETECTED ALIEN SPACE TRAVEL?

The first step after discovering signs of life in alien worlds will be to look for such patterns of interstellar expansion and civilization. Lin and Loeb are cautious, and encourage us to do the same because a pattern would only be obvious if the species under question spread very rapidly. Moreover, the effect of redshift as a result of interstellar drift may mean that many civilizations’ light cannot outrun the speed at which their solar systems are moving away from us; hence we would never detect them.

More on this fascinating topic can be read in an original article of op ed intrigue by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, at Astronomy Magazine.

---

 

UNTIL WE MEET ET, TRAIN YOUR KIDS FOR AUTONOMY

How Will ET Spread His Interstellar Seed?

On #obesity, it might not be your fault. And scientists want to help you cure your #hereditary issue. - http://clapway.com/2015/08/20/scientists-discovered-how-obesity-works-to-treat-it-324/

The key gene connected to obesity, responsible for people getting fatter, has finally been figured out. Scientists anticipate this to offer a totally new approach to the problem. It seems like a strict diet and intensive workouts will no longer be the only solutions to obesity, whose mysteries have just been solved.

THE FTO OBESITY GENE

In 2007, researchers found out that there was a gene that was somehow related to obesity, but they were not able to connect it to appetite and other factors. However, now we know that the FTO gene has an evil, faulty version that stores energy from food as fat, and does not let it get burnt.  What the experiments show is quite positive, though, since tests on mice and human cells indicate that this can be reversed and the hope of a drug or other treatment might be developed.

Responsible for this research are scientists from Harvard University and MIT, who published their study online on Wednesday on  the New England Journal of Medicine.

OBESITY IS NOT ALL ABOUT EATING

Melina Slaussnitzer, lead author of the study and genetics specialist at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, says that this discovery is an answer to those who believe that obesity is a choice: “For the first time, genetics has revealed a mechanism in obesity that was not really suspected before,” she says.

Related Post: Vitamin D Pills May Be Dangerous for Teenagers

Dr. Clifforf Rosen, associate editor at the medical journal and scientist at Maine Medical Center Research Institute, says that “it’s a big deal,” and that obesity is not all about eating, but how the FTO gene decides to store energy and use food. With this discovery, “you now have a pathway for drugs that can make those fat cells work differently,” he continued.

BUT THERE IS NO MAGIC PILL

So far, there has not been an obesity drug that would fight the problem long-term targeting metabolism. Most of them just aim at the brain and affect appetite in many different ways, but scientists are positive that this is going to change. Even though we cannot guess how long it might take before a new drug based on the new data becomes available, they say that it will not be something like a magic pill. People will not be able to eat whatever they want without gaining weight and targeting fat pathway could affect other things.

Eating habits and exercise are still important since the gene glitch does not explain all obesity. Actually, FTO was found in 44 percent of Europeans but only 5 percent of blacks suggesting that there are other genes at work, as well.

Manolis Kellis, MIT professor, says that having the glitch doesn’t make you doomed to become obese but may predispose you to it: “People with two faulty copies of the gene (one from Mom and one from Dad) weighed an average of 7 pounds more than those without them. But some were a lot heavier than that, and 7 pounds can be the difference between a healthy and an unhealthy weight.”

A CURE IS ON THE WAY

With more than half a billion obese people in the world, the necessity of a drug which can hit obesity in its nucleus is getting bigger and bigger. The experiments, as the journal describes, anyway, show that scientists are already getting close to creating a new pill that will change the way experts fight obesity and the diseases it hosts.

---

 

Need some ways to lose weight? Consider Thin Ice:

Scientists Discovered How Obesity Works to Treat It

Chandra Catches Pulsar Viciously Beat Massive Star B1259 - http://clapway.com/2015/07/25/chandra-catches-pulsar-viciously-beat-massive-star-b1259-567/

If you’ve never been in a street fight, and boxing is too technical to follow, then before you sprint to your nearest dojo, consider that all the punches delivered in the history of humanity are to what a pulsar travelling at a good chunk of light speed just did to a disk of matter orbiting a giant star. Bruce Lee said to kick to the moon, but Chandra just captured this pulsar just punting the equivalent of a planet into interstellar space.

CHANDRA HAS THE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE

Astronomers using the Chandra X-Ray Observatory orbiting the Earth witnessed the gigantic star called B1259 take this merciless beating in its home constellation Crux, also known as the Southern Cross. The punchee, B1259, is actually 30 times the mass of our Sun, and rotates at speeds so inconceivable that it actually bulges out at its sides. The puncher is a pulsar, i.e. an immensely dense mass of neutronium – the remains of an ancient star which, judging by how much is left of the pulsar, must have been even larger than its current punching bag.

I say punching bag because this mad pulsar actually forms a binary system with the star in an elliptical orbit of such high velocity that it punches right through the star’s extraneous disk every 3.5 years or so.

AFTERMATH’S HUMANITY

Astronomers observed the aftermath of this recent violence solemnly announced that the effected matter was hit with such magnificent force that what’s left of it has been expelled into interstellar space at 15 percent light speed (over 20 million miles per hour!).

Oleg Kargaltsev , Assistant Professor of Physics at George Washington University in Washington D.C. opined that “[a]fter this clump of stellar material was knocked out, the pulsar’s wind appears to have accelerated it, almost as if it had a rocket attached.”

His colleague, Jeremy Hare, added that “[t]his just shows how powerful the wind blasting off a pulsar can be…[t]he pulsar’s wind is so strong that it could ultimately eviscerate the entire disk around its companion star over time,” making what’s likely the most megalithic and apt use of the verb in the history of the English language.”

CHANDRA’S BEGINNINGS

Years before it exploded, the Columbia space shuttle installed the Chandra X-ray telescope in orbit in the year 1999. Once released, the scope boosted itself up into a particularly flashy elliptical orbit of its own, beyond Earth’s outermost charged-particle rings. This enabled Chandra to help us ogle the most heated spaces in the universe by virtue of its superlative X-ray tech.

It will be another 41 months before the next slug fest begins, so until then feel free to peruse this Astrophysical Journal at your leisure, ladies and gents.

---

 

keep your iphone safe from all kinds of hits and scrapes with the urban armor gear case!

Chandra Catches Pulsar Viciously Beat Massive Star B1259

Harvard Study: Efficiency of Statins in Treatment of Heart Disease - http://clapway.com/2015/07/16/harvard-study-efficiency-of-statins-in-treatment-of-heart-disease-234/

New Options for Heart Disease Patients

A groundbreaking new study could provide much-needed answers to the question of the most effective treatment for heart disease-related illnesses.

A Harvard study examined research cited in studies that were conduced two years ago. In November 2013, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association co-released new recommendations for cholesterol treatment, and included and emphasis on the use of statins.

History of the Research

The report was published in the American Medical Association journal. These conclusions stem from two studies published in the journal, both examine the 2013 suggestion that patients ages 40-75 have a higher 7.5 percent greater chance of developing a heart attack or stroke over the next decade. It is also believed that the patient use of statins to combat heart disease could reach millions over the next few years.

This calculation has proven to be tricky, as the profile has been closely examined to fit those who are at highest risk for heart disease and will benefit the most from preemptive measures. However, despite its controversy among the medical community, research has indicated that there could be successful in these new methods.

Despite its controversy amongst professionals in the medical community, this new wave of treatment suggests that patients will now have more say in how their treatment options are regulated and specialized. There is also concern among the differing definitions of what makes a patient with cardiovascular disease “high risk”. Fortunately, statin therapy is relatively low cost and patients have access to a variety of generic forms to keep the overhead of their treatment options low.

What Statin Treatment Could Shift

Researchers have indicated their optimism in the possibility of critical problem-solving from the information provided in the studies. Drug treatments and lifestyle variables are also important factors to consider in determining the most effective form of treatment for patients suffering from heart disease. This came from analyzing the medical literature to produce recommendations about who should be treated with cholesterol-lowering drugs.

It is unclear whether or not the statin therapy will completely eradicate heart disease, but it may open the possibility of far healthier, informed, and in-control patients.

---

 

check out the lepow poki external battery charger!

Harvard Study: Efficiency of Statins in Treatment of Heart Disease

Online Symptom Checkers Fail Testing by Harvard - http://clapway.com/2015/07/10/online-symptom-checkers-fail-testing-by-harvard567/

Reliance on internet for everything has its drawbacks

With our rising reliance on technology and the ever-growing presence the internet has in our lives, you would be hard pressed to find someone not glued to their electronic devices in some way, whether for work or leisure. This is true also for the medical field, with laymen feeling a tad paranoid about symptoms of illness or the occasional weird lump or mole, and wanting an internet solution for it.

They often take to Googling their symptoms on online symptom checkers such as WebMD or Mayo Clinic, and the like. However, this may prove to your biggest mistake according to a new study by Harvard researchers.

The study setup

A new study was published on Wednesday July 8th by Harvard researchers in the BMJ, looking into the accuracy of the online symptom checker. The examination was done in the form of an audit study in which twenty-three online symptom checkers where tested, all in English, with various medical conditions.

To help gauge the accuracy of the diagnoses of the online symptom checkers, the examination was divided into three categories of medical situations: emergency, non-emergency, and self-care. From there, the study observed which of these situations the online symptom checkers decided on, after the study came up with an illness it would take on and give the symptoms to the checker.

The Results

What the researchers then found was that the diagnoses were lackluster and the percentile of the number of times they were right on the money was low. It was enough to be concerned for the misdiagnoses and missed opportunities to get seen or medical care.

Also, the study found that the checkers would recommend going to the triage for treatment when self-care was the more reasonable choice. This was one of the problematic things the researchers found in the audit study on the online symptom checkers.

In fact, one of the authors of the study, Dr. Ateev Mehrotra, mentioned that the important thing about thinking about the symptoms of your ailments is not narrowing down what you have exactly, but rather to focus on seeking medical help immediately. Every second wasted on trying to diagnose yourself may higher your risk of serious injury or further injury to your health.

So yes, the online symptom checkers are pretty much all horrible guessers. Better brush up your acquaintance with your physician instead.

---

 

Phone leaving you stranded with no battery? Take the lepow poki charger with you wherever you go!

Online Symptom Checkers Fail Testing by Harvard

Study- Top 3 Things You Need to Know About Working Mothers - http://clapway.com/2015/06/26/3-things-you-need-to-know-about-working-mothers543/

All around the world, millions of working mothers get dressed, eat breakfast, kiss their children on the forehead, and sprint to work every morning, sometimes against the countervailing social messages signaling their inadequacy as breadwinners.

My mum is one of those super-committed women to both their children and profession. She always had a pressure-driven job but she never felt conflicted about being a working mother-of-three. Rightly so, a new paper by the Harvard Business School unveiled.

After analyzing data on 50,000 people in 24 countries, in North and South America, Australia, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, researchers found that children benefit from exposure to the positive role model of a mother with career.

“The children of working mothers observe the decisions and behaviors of their parents, learning skills and capacities that they can draw upon as resources as they navigate gendered situations and decisions later in life,” the study argues.

This is not to discriminate against non-working mothers. In South Asia for instance I’ve seen housewives or mothers involved in the informal economy who work three times more than some managers out there.

Yet, what do do children of working mothers get out of it?

1. Adult daughters of working mothers are more likely to be employed

According to the study, daughters of working mothers are likely to be more successful in their workplace. They earn more and hold a higher percentage of supervisory roles than daughters of stay-at-home mums. Data shows that one in three daughters of working mothers are in managerial posts versus only one in four of those with non-working mothers. Furthermore, working mothers directly teach daughters useful job skills, the study reports.

2. Maternal Employment has positive effects of sons

The research also explored the correlation between maternal employment and adult outcomes at home. Sons raised by an employed mother spend 7.5 more hours on childcare and doing household chores per week, than men whose mothers stayed home full time.

3. Working mothers break down gender stereotypes

In many countries the picture titled “mum stays home while dad works all day” is still very popular. Working mothers are the living example that traditional gender roles are not the only opportunity for their sons or daughters. Having a job doesn’t mean that children are being neglected. It’s quite the opposite, the study suggests.

“Our findings reveal the power of non-traditional gender role models to gradually erode gender inequality in labor market outcomes,” researchers explained, adding that egalitarian attitudes are associated with “better employment outcomes for women and more gender-equitable division of household labor.”

Working mothers, literally…good job!

---

 

 

Want to take awesome selfies? Look to the DealStock Selfie Stick!

Study- Top 3 Things You Need to Know About Working Mothers

A win for animal welfare AND medicine.- http://clapway.com/2015/06/24/human-organs-on-chips-could-end-animal-testing-234/

Scientists at the Wyss Institute and Harvard University have created a microchip that mimics human organs.

The Organs-On-Chips could one day replace animal testing because they are designed to mimic the architecture and functions of human organs such as the heart, lungs, and intestines. These chips could be a viable alternative to animal testing which is many times unable to accurately predict how drugs interact with human tissues.

“This is a big win towards achieving our Institute’s mission of transforming medicine and the environment by developing breakthrough technologies and facilitating their translation from the benchtop to the marketplace,” said Wyss Institute Founding Director Don Ingber, M.D., Ph.D., and leader of the Wyss Institute’s Organs-on-Chips team.

THE MICROCHIP COULD END ANIMAL TESTING

Each organ-on-chip is a clear polymer stick which contains hollow micro-channels which are lined with human cells. The scientists at the Wyss Institute plan to link 10 different organs-on-chips together in order to mimic a human organ system. The mini system would provide insights into drug efficacy and safety that has never been possible before.

THE FUTURE OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

According to the Wyss Institute, the chip has many future applications. Besides being a viable alternative to animal testing for pharmaceutical effectiveness, the chip could test the safety of cosmetics, test the toxicity of chemicals, be used to develop vaccines, and be used to combat bio-terrorism threats.

SCIENTISTS WIN A PRESTIGIOUS DESIGN AWARD

The development of the chip was a collaborative effort between Wyss Institute, government entities such as the FDA and NIH, and industrial partnerships. The scientists wanted to collaborate early with corporations that could quickly bring the chip to the marketplace.

London’s Design Museum was so impressed with the invention that they have given the Wyss Institute’s chip the Design of the Year 2015 award.

“This is the epitome of design innovation – elegantly beautiful form, arresting concept and pioneering application,” said Paola Antonelli, design curator at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, who nominated the organs-on-chips for the Design of the Year award.

“The team of scientists that produced this remarkable object don’t come from a conventional design background. But what they have done is clearly a brilliant piece of design,” Deyan Sudjic, director of the London Design Museum.

Image credit: Wyss Institute/Harvard University

---

 

The future of A.I. besties comes in MUSIO:

Human Organs-on-Chips Could End Animal Testing

New Discovery Shows Chimps are More Like Humans Than Previously Thought - http://clapway.com/2015/06/03/new-discovery-shows-chimps-like-humans-previously-thought123/

New, exciting research suggests that chimps are a lot more like humans than we previously thought. Not only do chimps create spears to hunt with, offer sex in return for food and make dolls to play with, but they also have the brain capacity to cook their food. There is only one problem; they don’t understand how to use fire.

A recent study done by Harvard evolutionary biologist Alexandra Rosati and Harvard psychologist Felix Warnekin suggest that chimps have all the same mental capacity that humans do when it comes to cooking, and they have the desire to cook as well. Both authors completed nine experiments on chimps to evaluate their thinking when it comes to cooking food.

One such test proved that chimps are more inclined to choose cooked food over raw food. Another exciting experiment proved that chimps even understand the process of “cooking” food. Scientists showed chimps raw pieces of food, placed the food in an oven and then pulled out the cooked food to give the chimps. Soon, the chimps were placing their own raw food into the oven as well. In this case, however, the oven was really just a box with already cooked food in it, because the researchers didn’t want to harm the chimps in any way.

Scientists report that whenever the chimps would put the raw food in their “oven” they would get really excited about the process and the result.

Even more impressive is the chimpanzees similarity to humans when it comes to patience, or lack of it; however this impatience was put on the back burner when it came to the deliciousness of cooked food. Chimps would forego immediately devouring their food, walk across the room and hand it to a scientist to be “cooked.” They resisted the temptation to immediately chow down, even though their self control is a lot less contained than our own.

Scientists were astounded at the capacity that chimpanzees have in regards to cooking food. Not only do chimps have the capability to recognize the cooking process of food, but they prefer to eat cooked food as well.

New Discovery Shows Chimps are More Like Humans Than Previously Thought